A Semi-Normal Life
by AzureOtter
Summary: Written for arashi wolf princess' birthday...Brooklyn House celebrates autumn.


**So, vampygurl402 asked me to do a Zia/Carter fanfic for arashi wolf princess's birthday...Romance used to be my forte, but it isn't anymore, so I really don**'**t know how this turned out...But, happy belated birthday anyway, arashi wolf princess! And I don't own TKC. **

**-AzureOtter**

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><p>CARTER<p>

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><p>October 25th, 2013. The year after our defeat of Apophis.<p>

My girlfriend, Zia, and I sat on the terrace of Brooklyn House, sipping coffee. The younger initiates, whom we have dubbed the "ankle-biters" were having fun running around the mansion at lightning speed, some of them wearing their Halloween costumes.

"This is bitter," Zia commented.

"That's how coffee is supposed to be," I replied.

She wrinkled her nose. "I prefer tea."

"Yeah, but you can't wake yourself up with tea."

"Yes, you can. Besides, I don't need a beverage to wake up."

"Well, good for you," I said. We laughed.

Just then, a couple of the ankle-biters - - Shelby and Ryan - - ran into the room. Six-year-old Shelby was dressed in her Cinderella dress she'd been talking non-stop about for the past couple weeks. Jaz had just finished making it for her. Sweet, shy, four-year-old Ryan was wearing his pirate costume, sword in hand.

"Zia," Shelby said.

"Yes?" said Zia.

"Can you tie my dress?"

"Of course," said Zia. "You know, there's an Egyptian Cinderella tale. About a woman named Rhodopis. It was the original Cinderella story."

"How can there be another Cinderella?" Shelby asked.

"Because Cinderella is a universal legend," Zia replied. "You see, there are many stories called 'archetypes' that-"

"Zia," I said quietly. "She's six. Do you think she understands a word you're saying?"

Zia hesitated. "Right. Um, Cinderella had many princess ancestors. Run along, sweetie."

Julian appeared in the doorway just as Shelby was about to leave.

"Have you seen Zia?" he asked me. "She's so boring around the holidays, Sadie and I were going to play a Halloween prank on her, and - - Oh, hi, Zia!"

Zia, sitting at another side of the long table, crossed her arms and raised a delicate eyebrow. "You were saying?"

"Um, nothing," he said, taking a step back.

"Ryan," Zia said, "feel free to hit Julian with your sword."

We laughed as the kids chased Julian back into the mansion.

I stood up, set my coffee mug down, and leaned over the railing to look down at the view below. Zia came to stand next to me.

"It's a lovely day," she said. "It was hot all the time when I lived in Egypt. I like experiencing seasons here."

I nodded. A red leaf fell from a tree below. It seemed to take forever to reach the ground.

"How'd you like to go pumpkin picking?" I asked her.

"What?" she laughed.

"Come on," I said.

The rest of Brooklyn House found out fairly quickly, and soon, we were on the bus, heading out to Peter's Pumpkins, an orchard and pumpkin patch about 45 minutes from the mansion.

An hour after we arrived at the orchard, Zia and I were walking alongside some of the fields. The others were spread out all over the place, picking pumpkins and apples, sampling jam, etc. I held a pumpkin we had picked under the crook of my left arm.

I looked over at Zia. She looked gorgeous, of course. She wore a black jacket, a red plaid shirt, and jeans, with red boots and this beret she'd apparently picked up in France when she was a kid. Her long black hair was flying with the breeze, and had a leaf caught in it. Her coppery skin was pink from the cold air.

"Can I help you with that?" I asked, gesturing to the bag of goodies she held in her left hand.

She shook her head. "I'm perfectly capable of carrying a bag, Carter."

"I know, I was just-"

She laughed. "I was being sarcastic. You are so sensitive sometimes."

"Sorry."

"It's nothing to be sorry about." She turned to face me. "In fact, I like that about you. Most boys wouldn't bother to ask if I needed help, especially if they were already carrying that big pumpkin."

"Yeah, well," I said, getting nervous. "Um, should we find the others?"

"In a moment," she said. "Lots of things can happen in a moment."

She dropped her bag and I dropped my pumpkin and we kissed. When she pulled away, she smiled at me. "Thanks, Carter. I had a great day."

"You-You're, um-You're-welcome..." I stuttered.

She laughed her light, musical laugh. "Come. The others will be looking for us."

We found Sadie first. "Bonjour," she said. "Here, I got you two carmel apples."

"Thanks," we said simultaneously. I took a bite of mine and nearly broke my tooth.

Sadie laughed. "Don't be such a wimp. You wanna go play in the bounce house?"

Zia grinned. I said, "Sure. Why not."

Picking pumpkins, breaking a tooth on an apple, kissing in a field, bouncing in a child's bounce house...Hard to believe that, just over a year ago, we were worried about defeating the greatest evil that ever existed.

**So was it acceptable? (That goes for not only arashi wolf princess, but everyone else reading this too.) Well...Be sure to review, and answer me this: Should I turn this into a series of TKC one-shots? **

**Happy late birthday, arashi!**


End file.
